Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr vs Zhu De

Al-Bakr, a senior Ba'athist officer, helped plan and execute the coup that overthrew Qasim. He became Prime Minister briefly but was forced out by President Arif later that year, marking an early setback for the Ba'ath Party.

Al-Bakr led a bloodless coup that brought the Ba'ath Party back to power. He became President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, establishing a regime that would rule Iraq for decades. Saddam Hussein was his deputy.

Al-Bakr's government fully nationalized the Iraq Petroleum Company, ending foreign control of the country's oil industry. This move dramatically increased state revenue and funded development projects, but also led to Western sanctions.

Al-Bakr was forced to resign as President, ostensibly for health reasons, and was succeeded by Saddam Hussein. He was placed under house arrest until his death in 1982. The transition consolidated Saddam's absolute power.

Zhu De was a key commander in the Nanchang Uprising, the first major armed revolt by the Communist Party against the Nationalists. Though defeated, it marked the founding of the Red Army.

Zhu De led his surviving forces to Jinggangshan to join Mao Zedong's base. This merger created the Fourth Red Army, with Zhu as commander and Mao as political commissar, forming a long-term partnership.

Zhu De was named Commander-in-Chief of the PLA during the Chinese Civil War. He directed military strategy that led to the defeat of the Nationalists and the establishment of the People's Republic.

Zhu De was criticized and marginalized by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. He was accused of being a 'capitalist roader' and stripped of effective power, though he retained his titles.